Midlothian mum devastated after thieves steal decorations from tragic baby daughter's grave

Lynn Tannerhill, 32, has been putting up a display at her tragic daughter Lacey’s plot in Newbattle Cemetery every year since she drowned aged just 11 months in 2012.

Lynn was further traumatised when thieves struck her daughter’s grave again this month - and wants Midlothian Council to take action to prevent more items being stolen.

The Mayfield nursing assistant, who also has a 14-year-old son and a nine-year-old daughter, is calling for a CCTV camera to be placed in the graveyard.

Christmas decorations were stolen from Lacey's grave | Handout

She told the Evening News: “Every Christmas and every birthday, I always put down a big display. I’ve never had any problems.

“Nothing’s ever went missing up until just after last Christmas. I had went down to visit her, which I do very regularly - sometimes twice or three times a week.

“I parked up at the grave and I looked and said ‘oh my god’ and just started roaring and greeting. Half of her stuff was missing.

Lacey Davidson tragically drowned in 2012 | Handout

“What caught my eye was that she had a standing reindeer and all her decorations were pinned into the ground so they wouldn’t blow away. The reindeer’s neck had been snapped and chucked.

“It was in the middle of her grave with the head at one end and the body at another. I phoned my dad crying and I said the standing Santa, the snowman and all the rest of it were all missing.”

Lynn said she reported the theft to the police and council.

She continued: “I told them this was appalling and that something needs to be done about it.”

The reindeer was found with its head snapped off | Handout

The council said there was no CCTV in the cemetery but Lynn claims the agreed to install a mobile camera on special occasions, such as her daughter’s birthday, Christmas and Easter. The council denies it agreed to such a regime.

Describing the second time she found things missing from the grave, Lynn said: “I had went down last week and parked up and looked out and I’m like ‘the grave’s looking a bit bare’. It turned out her solar lights were away.

“She had black and purple solar lights down since my sister got them for her anniversary in October.”

Lynn is calling for CCTV in the cemetery | Handout

The discovery left her ‘an absolute wreck’. “The stuff will be replaced but I shouldn’t have to do it”, she added.

“What comes across your mind to actually steal off a baby’s grave?”

Lynn later heard that lights had been stolen from the grave of another young boy, and it is believed that Dalkeith Cemetery has also been the subject of theft.

She suspects the thieves have been striking at night-time because they would have been unlikely to spot the solar lights during the day.

Six solar lights were stolen from Lacey's grave | Handout

Lynn said she reported the missing items to police but they were unable to find the thieves.

Emphasising the need for a permanent camera in the cemetery, she said: “I’m not just talking for me. I think everyone in that cemetery would back it because it’s happening too much.

“The stuff that’s being stolen means a lot to people.”

A Midlothian Council spokesman said: "We are not aware of thefts from a baby's grave at Newbattle Cemetery, which we appreciate would be upsetting although theft would be a police matter.

“The service concerned has not made any agreement to install cameras, and we would, therefore, encourage the mother to contact us with more details by emailing [email protected] and Police Scotland.

“A self-closing latch was installed in the side gate of the cemetery to stop deer eating flowers and damaging items left at graves. Like all cemeteries, Newbattle is not locked to allow people to visit when it suits them."